Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Los Pumas: Farías Cabello Endorses Comments Made by Albacete

A day after veteran Argentine international second-rower Patricio Albacete spoke out against the UAR and certain decisions made the Toulouse forward has had his comments endorced by Pumas teammate Julio Farías Cabello. The thirty-five year old based in Tucumán says that Albacete's version of events that claimed Daniel Hourcade wanted to select Albacete as captain for the November tour of England, Wales and Italy are true. Comments from the former Pampas XV captain would appear to increase the chances of Albacete representing Argentina again. Unlike a number of others Farías is able to speak out without suffering any consequences. He is no longer a part of the PladAR system that formed the squad for the IRB Pacific Cup in Australia and also the majority of the current squad involved in a home series against Ireland.

The thirty time capped Julio Farías Cabello had a vastly different careeer than most. He debuted for Argentina at the age of 32 but having done so quickly became a regular in the team and held down a starting position from his second test onwards. His debut came off the bench against France in Montpellier in 2010 while he would start all other tests in which he featured with the exception of the away Rugby Championship match against South Africa in 2013.

Farías Cabello was therefore involved in representing his country for teams including the leading players from both home and abroad during a period covering four seasons. His final test was Argentina's away victory over Italy last November, Daniel Hourcade's first win sicne replacing Santiago Phelan just ten days before naming a squad for the tour.

The squad named was not at full strength. Argentina was suffering from the loss of captain Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, his Rugby Championship deputy Felipe Contepomi and Hourcade's 2011 Vodacom Cup winning captain, Agustín Creevy. With all missing Hourcade handed the captaincy to Juan Manuel Leguizamón, a veteran of two Rugby World Cups and one of Argentina's better forwards in the disastrous 2013 Rugby Championship campaign.

Albacete has said that he was offered the captaincy but Hourcade has denied that this is in fact what transpired. The extent of the complications involved are enormous due to Hourcade not having selected Albacete as one of his European based players for the 2014 Rugby Championship. Also left out are the likes of Marcos Ayerza, Santiago Fernández, Eusebio Guiñazú and Gonzalo Tiesi some of whom have been linked to backing Albacete's criticisms of Phelan which saw him resign in October.

The endorsement of Albacete is of extreme significance. Farías Cabello has had a long term close relationship with Daniel Hourcade both in Argentina and abroad. Farías Cabello was told by Hourcade to leave France to try to get into the PladAR system and thus return from Rouen. Having gone on to be a regular Puma under Phelan Hourcade then selected Farías Cabello as captain for the Pampas XV after Creevy had moved to play for Montpellier.